Dear Ottawa Marathoners, You're here. You've made it. We are so happy to have you in town. We know it's a big year for Canada, and that's why this is one of the best years to run Canada's largest marathon weekend. By now you've taken a look at the route, you will see the many sites you'll pass on your 42.2K journey this Sunday.

7:00 am will come quickly and all of a sudden you'll be running up the start chute past the National War Memorial. After a few quick turns, you'll nestle into the first 5K by running along the Rideau Canal. Did you know it's the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America? In fact, in 2007, the Rideau Canal was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As an Ottawa based runner, I've logged a few hundred kilometres along this stretch. It never gets old.

As you carry on along the Rideau Canal towards Dows Lake, you'll have cheers from the Glebe, Preston Street and then Wellington West and Westboro Village! We have the BEST community support. I had a chance to run with Jeff Leiper, the councillor for Kitchissippi Ward, along Wellington Street. It's safe to say they are excited to see you around 8-10K!

You will carry on from Wellington onto Richmond Road, where you will turn onto Athlone Street. This side street always has a great crew out cheering. An unconfirmed rumour is that there is a house who makes pancakes for the cheer squad that is out there bright and early for the marathoners. Regardless, you're likely feeling good at this portion of the race. With the crowds along Wellington, I hope you're on a high (that's why we do this after all).

You will then turn into Tunney's Pasture and head down to Sir John A. Parkway. You'll run a few kilometres out and back along this stretch. This is a good time to put your speed into cruise control. Take in the view of the Ottawa River as you come back towards the city and past Canada's War Museum. Sponge stations will be located at 16K, 25K and 36K. H2O and nuun hydration stations are set up every 3K for the Marathon.

You will then travel over Chaudiere Bridge into Gatineau, Quebec. I always think it's cool that we get to run a race that crosses two provinces. Fun Canada 150 fact, Ontario and Quebec are two of the four provinces to first join Confederation in 1867. As you run through Gatineau, you will experience some of the best crowd support and catch a glimpse of Gatineau Park. You will also hit the HALFWAY mark.

For those of you from out of town, Gatineau was recently hit with some of the worst flooding in years, with many homes devastated. With 45% of Tamarack Race Weekend participants coming from Quebec, this tragedy is very close to home. We are grateful for all the community support during this time.

As you progress from the halfway point, I find something changes in the race. A sense that this is where the real race begins. You've hung on for 21+ kilometres, and now will begin to test yourself as you make your way through the final 21K. Don't let your mind get ahead of you. Run the kilometre you're in.

Just before the Alexandra Bridge, you will find yourself in the midst of one of the loudest cheering and aid stations. They're cheering for you. To your right will the Canada's Museum of History. Pro-tip: The best photo spot to have Parliament in your backdrop is behind the museum.

As you're crossing the Alexandra Bridge, take a moment to breathe it all in. You are running a marathon today, and OMG look at this view. It really doesn't get any better than this. When things get tough, smile. You're about to head into one of the wildest cheering stations in the entire race. Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

You will pass through the screaming crows at the National Art Gallery and likely get chills. I remember running through this stretch last year and feeling overwhelmed with emotion. It was a hot day out there, but man was I happy to be running 42.2K that day. THANK YOU to every single person who comes out to cheer runners on. Your words of encouragement, your cowbells, your signs, your sticky high fives mean the world.

You will then run along Sussex pass the Royal Canadian Mint, run along the Trans Canada Trail, and past 24 Sussex and Rideau Hall. You will see portions of this stretch again one your way back, but let's not think about that for now. You have 28-36K to run. Put your head down and keep moving (ideally towards the finish). You will have entertainment, water and sponge stations to support you. If the voice in your head gets the best of you, holler at one of the members of the Extra Mile Crew to run with you for a bit. Before you know it, you will be running along Beechwood, back up towards Sussex.

As you head back to the finish, you will start to see the crowds lining the streets grow. Feed off their energy. This is what you've been training for. You will pass the Byward Market, the Shaw Centre and complete your last few kilometres along the Rideau Canal. Does this look familiar? It should. You can see the finish from across the Canal and hear the crowds cheering. In minutes you will be running along Queen Elizabeth towards the finish.

https://twitter.com/OttawaMarathon/status/860172159313989632

As for me, this year I will be out volunteering at the start and on the course (literally) all weekend. If you see me, please say hi! If you're running, HAVE A GREAT RACE.

Truth be told, I've never not eaten something in a day, let alone a juice cleanse. I look back on my many years of yoyo dieting and attempts to stay fit through running {hard to do when your nutrition is out of whack}, and shudder. I do not do well with restriction. In fact, it wasn't until I started learning of the wonders of nutrition and meal planning did I recognize just how unhealthy my previous behaviours have been. Over the years I've made a lot of progress in this area.
Fast forward to present day. I generally have my nutrition in order. Sure, there are always things we can improve, but I now see my body as a performance vehicle and treat it accordingly (how can I expect it to run fast, if I'm not fuelling it right?).

I've always wanted to try a juice cleanse. Some of my favourite health and wellness advocates and endurance athletes talk/write about them. Yet, I always found excuses why not to give it a try, despite knowing all the benefits (too expensive, I'd get too hungry, why are there so many bottles). I also knew I couldn't go the restriction route. The idea of drinking a class of water with lemon and cayenne pepper makes me ill. I've done lots of reading on juice cleanses over time and knew there are a TON of options out there these days. Options that wouldn't require me to live on some weird water sludge. That lead me to a local business, URBAN JUICE PRESS.

URBAN JUICE PRESS began with the idea that people canheal themselves and take responsibility for their own health. Founder, Justin Gauthier story includes a diagnosis for Crohn's disease in 2010. After years of pain, at a certain point, Justin had had enough. The current treatments were just not working for him, and he made the conscious decision to take his health into his own hands. Justin soon discovered juicing! I am so glad he did.

I chose the URBAN JUICE PRESS Kickstarter Cleanse because it targets beginners and, well, that’s what I am. It also has an appealing mix of juices + smoothies + nut milks, so I didn’t feel restrictive. I already eat a smoothie bowl for breakfast most days!

I got up around 5:45 am. I normally would have a coffee before working out, but had a lemon ginger tea instead. I am reminded how much I love coffee. Can I really go two days? I worked out from 6:30-7:15 am (strength). When I got home, I drank the Skin Tonic while rolling out my legs. Normally I would be drinking my Vega Accelerator. The Skin Tonic was light and fresh. I’ve had some juices where the lemon and celery and too pronounced; this one was more subtle.

I wanted to have my breakfast before leaving the house, so ended up having the Green Energy (280 cals of deliciousness) within an hour of the Skin Tonic. The Green Energy is a smoothie and not technically a juice. It was creamy to taste and filling. I filed the bottle up a bit with water to shake the remaining smoothie out. As if I would forego some of these nutrients.

Normally I would be working on my second coffee at this time. The cleanse provides two morning snacks, so I planned for them at 9:45 and 11:30. I love turmeric and often use it in my shakes, so naturally I loved that taste. It was the jalapeno in this juice that I found so interesting. The juice wasn’t hot, but it did have a kick. Feeling surprisingly energized and not hungry.

I ended up having my second “snack” at noon. Plans change. Similar to the Skin Tonic, I found this one light and sweet, re: apple. I enjoyed it, but knew I would be hungry soon. I’m used to having a fairly substantial lunch and normally have a pretty big appetite around noon. I’ve also noticed that I don’t have the usual heart burn I experience before lunch re: coffee. That’s a discussion for another day.

Ooooh. What a treat to have this one again! 1/4 done my cleanse. Feeling optimistic knowing that I have 4 more juices + smoothies + a cashew milk after this “lunch”. Like breakfast, I really enjoyed the taste and texture. I’m busy today, so it’s kind of nice to just grab this bottle vs. my bag of Tupperware.

I don't know if it's because I've only drank juice today, but this carrot juice was so good. My energy level normally dips a bit around this time of day, so I normally have a snack with me. While not my usual Superhero muffin, the carrot juice did give me a bump in energy.

I'm thinking about food and how my dinner tonight will be a smoothie. Hmmm. Don't get ahead of yourself; you WANT to do this. *Opens Creamy Cashew,* oooooh, this is good. I enjoyed the vanilla and maple I can taste in the "milk". I start to wonder more about what is in the cashew milk in my fridge and how long the list of ingredients are compared to this.

I drank Dinner right before heading into see a viewing of Patriots Day. The cacao smoothie was tasty. The bottle said it had blueberries in it; I tasted more chocolate + greens more than anything. I got a tea afterwards to sip on. I have a bad habit of snacking in the night, so I know I will need to keep busy {thankful to have the movie to go to}.

Back from the movie and I can have my evening snack. I'm impressed with this one. I've tried a number of beet juices and this may just be one of the best I've ever tasted. Is it because it's so fresh? Is it because I haven't eaten real food today? I go to bed not feeling hungry. Success.

Day 2

Bottles: 9

Coffee: 0

Day 2 was the same as Day 1 in terms of bottles. I woke up early for a run. I felt lighter than normal {the absence of salt in yesterday's diet had an impact}. I weighed myself and was down 1.6 lbs. Again, water weight. But all in all I feel fine. I drank herbal tea throughout the day. By dinner time I had an appetite and drank my Raw Chocolate and Immunity Supercharge 45 minutes apart. I feel like this was a huge personal win to make it to the end of Day 2 strictly on juice. Wicked way to start 2017.

All in all, I am SO happy I tried this juice cleanse! After completing the two days, my body and mind are feeling pretty good. This was the reset I needed. I would highly recommend this entry-level cleanse to anyone who is seeking to improve their overall health. Press restart!